Customer Reviews

iLive iHM8816DT Home Music System with DVD/CD, Digital AM/FM Stereo Radio, Weatherband, Remote Control, and Dock for iPod (White)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I had been looking for a long time for a nice shelf system for my office that would integrate the iPod and also play CD's and radio. When I saw this product released on several iPod sites, I decided to give it a go despite not seeing any reviews.

- Upon opening the box, the actual product looks very nice. A main unit with blue tint LCD, simple buttons on the front and nice looking speakers. Has a nice dock right on top of the unit for the iPod and it clicks right in as it should.

It was pretty much downhill from there.
- Instructions coming with the product are overly simplistic considering the wide range of functions of the product. They note where items such as the iPod can be used by the remote, but do not provide any details as to exactly what aspects of the remote controls what functions and so forth.
- When the unit is turned on it defaults to a VERY high volume level for my office purposes. Upon contacting customer service I was told that this is the way the product was built, and that the retailers of the product demanded a higher volume level then initially defaulted. I need to remember to have my finger on the lower volume control the minute I turn it on so I don't upset my coworkers
- The problems get more significant in relationship with the iPod. as noted in another review, there are pretty significant speaker squeaks and interference in a wide variety of areas. 1) loud "hiss" when the backlight of my iPod turns off. 2) annoying beep in the Speakers when the words on the ipod scroll (such as a long album or song title). Strong speaker interference whenever the hard drive revs up.

I have figured out a workound to this last issue. I set my backlight to "always on", and once selecting music, I set the iPod to show the static album cover, therefore I get no problems with words scrolling on the screen. Of course, that means my iPod is now bright all day at work, worrying me about the long term prospects of protecting the screen, and I can not view song titles and see where I am within the album, as it only shows the album cover. I can deal with these things in the short term and will try it out for a couple weeks but may ultimately return the product.

Overall, the form is exactly what I was looking for, and I have not found another product that seemlessly integrates the iPod at this price point. However, the technical aspects seem shoddy at best and it appears this company has a long way to go in terms of quality control. I recommend this product as long as you know what you are getting and what the problems are. However, it might be worth waiting a bit until a proven home audio company puts out a similiar product.

I recently bought this item because it provided exactly what I was looking for: a small system that allowed me to listen to my iPod, the radio, and CDs. The unit is cute but the interface isn't exactly user friendly. With time, I could get over that. However, there is a constant hissing noise that also has a constant quiet beeping that goes along with when the song title scrolls across the screen of my iPod. No matter what I do, I can't get the hissing or beeping to go away...and so the unit is going back.

With minimalist design, and compact package, this unit will be a sexy accent to any office/bedroom/interior space.

But that's where the positives come to a screechingly painful halt:

This unit is far from being sexcellent....

First off, if you are not a coinsure of sound quality, this is the unit for you. The sound quality on this system is less than pathetic. I found by investing in a good quality FM adaptor I could get much better sound at a far more reasonable price.

-The sound texture is grainy. Like sandpaper across my knuckles
-The speakers buzz frequently.
-The bass...is well non existent

Secondly, if you have this unit in a room that at times of the day you like to have darkened...say a bedroom. You'll find that the blinding aura emitted by the LCD screen, will aid in your insomnia. Unless you enjoy being bathed in a brilliant blue light while attempting to reach an unconscious state, I would not suggest buying this system. To make matters worse, there is no way to dim the screen, so unless you have duct tape prepare to be caught in the irritating azul tractor beam of this system.

Save your money and invest in a FM transmitter, or a better quality system...it'll be worth the wait...and sleep.

It's a nice looking system & is fairly easy to set up. The sound quality is adequate for my needs.

I do hear hissing when broadcasting the radio but I've had none of the problems mentioned in other reviews with beeping or loud hissing when playing my new Ipod Nano on the system.

The alarm (called timer) on the system isn't very satisfactory - it will turn on at the time you set whatever (Ipod, Radio, CD) you last played when it was powered on - but if you remove the CD or Ipod, then nothing happens at the "alarm time" so I try to make sure it's on radio when I turn off the system for the night.

Also, when you turn the system on or comes on as an alarm, it always comes on at volume level 17, which is pretty loud. Just be prepared.

A few quirks, but overall a nifty, attractive system for a very affordable price.

I was very dissappointed with the fact that i did not receive instructions for this complex system, i am still trying to figure out how to set the clock!! But to say a few other things about it; the cd and ipod plays well. As for starting up the radio, it's a joke. The antenna is just a string with nothing else to hold it up for a good reception so the radio is always fuzzy. The LCD screen i wish would turn off when you turn off the rest of the system, it is rather bright when trying to sleep. But i am glad to say that i do not have any hissing or beeping with me stereo.
[...].

I bought this item new, but it arrived with a few scratches. I was willing to give it a try anyway. The quality is crap-cheap plastic and particle board- and the stereo kept turning itself off when playing dvds and when listening to the ipod. I will never buy this brand again, rather spend a few extras bucks and invest in something of known quality!

I bought this system for my husband to use with his ipod. The sound quality was poor . . .really muddy, especially when the bass boost and "subwoofer" were enabled. I tried unplugging the sub woof and the sound was then tinny and poor. I ended up returning it to the store. We're still on the "hunt" for an economical but great sounding system . .. this wasn't worth it.

I am pretty happy with this unit. I wanted a unit that would play my iPod, DVDs, CDs, and radio. It does all these very basically. I don't notice any of the weird noises during iPod play which others have mentioned. The sound is surprisingly good but I wish I could adjust the equalizer manually in addition to the various presets. I have the DVD audio coming out of the stereo instead of the TV and I think that the verbal sounds a bit unbalanced, the background/music on the DVD sounds fine. It can go through the TV and maybe that would be better. The display is a bit difficult to see without being right next too it, is very bright at night, and is not adjustable (as far as I can tell). I have no idea how to use my iPod with the remote conrol besides skipping tracks, pausing, turning off, and volume. You can browse and use all the features with the iPod docked on the unit. The instructions are extremely minimal, mostly pictures so they don't give much help. If you don't want to spend a bunch of money to play your media then this unit is a good choice. It's basic and easy to use, don't expect much more out of it.

I am returning a recently purchased ILive ipod base (item # gpxicr6806dt) because this item in new condition has many undesirable issues with sound quality (beeping, poor reception, missing ipod adapter B, etc). I bought this as a gift and am very upset that you would sell a product of such low quality. I've read your return policy noting that "Shopperschoice" will be unable to refund the shipping charges- and feel compelled to tell you that I will be unable to make anymore purchases from you again in the future. Please understand that I do generally enjoy doing business online and regret having to inform my friends of your low quality products.

After reading a few poor reviews of this item I was hesitant to purchase, but there are not a lot of choices for Ipod CD combo, and was desperate for a Xmas gift.

Boy am I glad I did. Not sure if I received a later model than others, but when paired with a Nano, or when playing a CD it is awesome. Never heard any of the hissing or other low level noises others have mentioned. Set up was easy, as is operation. Remote offers great functionality. Sound is good, bass can be a bit overpowering in a small room, but preset EQ gives you options.

I would recommend this product, especially at this price point, worth every penny.